Switcheroo

To the many who preach the nirvana of a hyper-sustainable existence in which every food mile is scrutinised, every kW of power must be renewable, every ounce of consumerism is eschewed and every betterment of living standards is scorned ..... meet Yusuf, he lived the lifestyle for twenty-four years straight:

A Somali on trial for piracy is looking forward to a prolonged stay in the Netherlands, his lawyer says. Five alleged pirates are being tried in Rotterdam starting Monday.

No, Willem-Jan Ausma has never had to defend a client quite like this: one who is quite happy being in prison, and is almost looking forward to being found guilty and sentenced. "For the first time in his life he has access to a real toilet. For the first time in his life he is in a safe environment," Ausma says about his Somali 'pirate' client.

Sure, 24-year-old Yusuf hasn't seen his family in more than four months. "But he intends to send for his wife and children as soon as he is released from prison. He knows he cannot easily be sent back to Somalia. He loves it here in the Netherlands."

When it comes to reality, logic, ration and smarts, I'll put my money on Yusuf over our Western eco-betters any day of the week.